In today’s competitive market, data management requirements are more complex and diverse than ever before. Transactional and business intelligence data must be managed efficiently while providing enhanced security, availability, reliability, manageability, integration, performance, and data integrity. The investment in Microsoft SQL Server 2008 provides a more secure, reliable, and scalable platform for storing mission-critical information and delivering the right information to users, while reducing the time and cost of managing data. An organization that wants to make the most of its data should have a Microsoft Certified Master (MCM) on Microsoft SQL Server 2008 on staff.
The MCM program on Microsoft SQL Server 2008 is designed to provide the most experienced and talented IT professionals worldwide with validation and recognition of their in-depth technical expertise in Microsoft SQL Server.
A Microsoft Certified Master for SQL Server 2008 is the highest level of SQL Server technical certification offered by Microsoft and can be achieved by passing these two exams in the following sequence:
Exam 88-970: SQL Server 2008 Microsoft Certified Master: Knowledge Exam
Exam 88-971: SQL Server 2008 Microsoft Certified Master: Lab Exam
Test your technical skills for today’s complex data management requirements and tomorrow’s challenges. Designed by experts for experts, these challenging exams test your in-depth technical knowledge and help validate your ability to make effective design, deployment, and operational decisions when using SQL Server 2008.
Certified individuals prove their technical masteryTo obtain an MCM on SQL Server 2008 certification, you must prove your mastery in a virtual lab environment that emulates an enterprise infrastructure of the Microsoft SQL Server 2008 platform. You are tasked to troubleshoot and diagnose configuration and performance issues, and demonstrate and deploy the detailed knowledge and skills that are required to successfully design, operate, and manage an enterprise-class SQL Server 2008 infrastructure.
Organizations looking for large, complex, or highly available SQL Server solutions benefit from the expertise of a MCM on SQL Server. These experts work with customers to successfully design, implement, troubleshoot, and support SQL Server 2008 solutions, in a number of scenarios, including:
Public-facing websites that serve millions of customers
Enterprise intranet solutions that serve global organizations with hundreds of thousands of users
Consolidation platforms that host terabytes of content for large organizations
SQL Server 2008 consolidation scenarios, multi-tenancy, enterprise data warehousing, and business intelligence
Highly available solutions that require constant uptime
High transaction volume systems that require optimally configured solutions to ensure maximum throughput
Figure 1. The enterprise infrastructure of the Microsoft SQL Server 2008 platform
Preparing for the required examsAlthough the most effective preparation is real-world, hands-on experience, there are a number of training resources that can help prepare you for the Knowledge and Lab Exams.
Accelerated Exam Preparation program for Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server 2008The SQL MCM Accelerated Exam Preparation program is designed to prepare SQL Server MCM candidates to take the Knowledge Exam and/or the Lab Exam for the SQL Server 2008 Microsoft Certified Master program. Candidates may participate in a scheduled series of live online sessions, subscribe to practice labs, or choose a bundle of both offerings.
a) SQL MCM Sessions: starting March 6, 2012Take a scheduled series of seven weeks of live online sessions with a presenter, who is a SQL MCM, including a review of an exam topic and open Q&A time. Two sessions of two hours each will be delivered weekly, with each week focusing on one of the seven exam topic areas.
b) SQL MCM labsGet a two month subscription for practicing with 20 SQL MCM-level labs in a hosted SQL Server VM environment. The labs will be associated with the weekly exam topics. This is an easy to use, anytime access lab environment to practice the skills you need.
Practice labs for SQL Server MCMIf you want to access practice labs, but without the two-month commitment required by the Accelerated Exam Preparation program, the same labs are also available right now in one week or one month increments. The labs cover advanced SQL Server topics geared to helping you prepare for Master level certification. The goal of these hands-on lab materials is to give you an understanding of the features of SQL Server 2008 that a Microsoft Certified Master may use when designing and implementing solutions for business requirements.
Videos. Take advantage of several hours of freely accessible MCM-level instruction delivered via video by some of the top SQL Server instructors in the world.
Books and white papers. Get more information and a list of readiness resources.
Taking the required examsNow available worldwide, the MCM on SQL Server 2008 exams are delivered at select Prometric test centers. For information on exam availability or to schedule an exam, visit the Prometric website. The exams are currently available only in English, but additional languages may be available in the future, based on demand.
Remote Delivery Options for the Lab ExamLooking for options for taking the SQL Server Certified Master lab exam? For a limited time, Microsoft Learning will be offering remote delivery of the SQL Server Certified Master lab exam for a reduced price of US$2,000 (normally US$2,500). Remote delivery allows you to take the exam from a quiet location of your choosing and saves you the cost of travelling to a distant testing center. Remote delivery requires a working webcam, the full Microsoft Lync client, and a reliable internet connection.Some restrictions apply. For details or to schedule remote delivery of the SQL MCM lab exam, contact mcmsqlexam@microsoft.com.Learn more about the Microsoft Certified Master Program.
Recommended skills and experienceIndividuals interested in pursuing a Microsoft Certified Master on SQL Server 2008 certification typically have five or more years of hands-on SQL Server experience in mission-critical environments, with competencies that include:
Designing and implementing high-performance, scalable, and secure enterprise environments
Troubleshooting the most challenging SQL Server issues
Managing multiple instances of SQL Server, including the use of a variety of features and tasks, with a thorough understanding of SQL Server design and architecture.
A thorough understanding of SQL Server core engine components and dependencies, such as online transaction processing (OLTP), high availability, disaster recovery, performance tuning and optimization, the SQL Server operating system (SQLOS), the storage engine, the relational engine, security, manageability, and data distribution.
Additional information about the MCM on Microsoft SQL Server certification
MCM perspectives“Be among the top one percent of IT professionals in the world with Microsoft Certified Master credentials.” Norm JudahChief Technology Officer, Services, Microsoft Corporation
What is the Microsoft Certified Master program?The MCM program is the highest level of technical certification; it helps recognize and validate an individual’s ability to design, implement, and troubleshoot solutions built on Microsoft software and technologies.
What value does an MCM bring to an organization?A Microsoft Certified Master helps an organization assess its current data needs, map major initiatives and projects, rate the impact of identified gaps (for example, value, cost, and level of effort), and prioritize investments for maximum impact, lowest cost, and greatest leverage.
Join the exclusive community of SQL Server database technical expertsAll Microsoft Certified Masters become an immediate part of an exclusive community of SQL Server experts that includes fellow MCMs and members of the Microsoft SQL Server product group. This membership provides valuable resources to which they can contribute, and they can draw from the collective knowledge of that community at any time.
